NCAA Basketball: Ranking the 2021 Big 12/SEC Challenge matchups
8. TCU at Missouri
This is an interesting contrast of rosters, as TCU will arguably have the two best players in this game in juniors Kevin Samuel and RJ Nembhard. Missouri doesn’t have the same kind of star power but does have a good amount of depth, led by Mark Smith, Dru Smith, and Jeremiah Tilmon.
The upperclassmen-heavy roster should give the Tigers the advantage unless the Horned Frogs will have found some good role players to back up its two stars. Both teams have the potential to compete for an at-large spot, which raises the stakes for both the winner and loser of this matchup. However, there’s very little intrigue with this one, other than that they’re fairly evenly matched.
Prediction: Missouri
7. Alabama at Oklahoma
To be honest, there’s a gap between the bottom three and the rest of the list. Everyone else going forward has a real shot at dancing in March, making these games all the more important. That includes this one, with both teams replacing their leading scorers from last season but still has plenty of offense returning.
Oklahoma has the duo of Brady Manek and Austin Reaves, while Alabama’s trio of Jaden Schakelford, John Petty, and Herb Jones will lead the way on offense for them. Yale grad transfer Jordan Bruner adds size that the Crimson Tide didn’t have last season, which could even up being the difference in this one.